Cane-juice



METERS, FHOTO-LIYMOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D4 C.

To all whoml it may concern.'

anca samatwt @twine Lettersv Patent No. 96,155, (lated October 2'6, 1869.

IMPROVE!) MACHINE FOR BLEACHING- CANE-JUICE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and Amaking part of the same.

Be it known that I, EvAN SKELLY, of Plaquemine, in the parish of Iberville, and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and improved Machine for Bleaching Cane-Juice; and I do h'ereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for defecating and bleaching cane-juice by the use of sulphurous-acid gas, and for manufacturing the said gas, and cooling the same, previous to the application to the juice.

'lhe invention comprises an improved arrangement of automatic feeding and air-supplying apparatus forthe'furnaces,having an improved means for-varying their capacity; also, an improved arrangement of cooling-devices, through which the gas is passed and cooled in the presence of' water; also, an arrangement of means for agit-ating the juice, and exhausting the air, and delivering the gas thereto, in a manner to produce the most intimate contact of the gas with the particles of juice for bleaching.

Figure l represents a plan view, partly sectioned.

Figure 2 represents a side view, partly sectioned.

Figure 3 represents a section on the line x a: of iig. 1.

Figure 4 represents'a sectional elevation ofa modified arrangement of cooling-apparatus.

Figure 5 represents a sectional elevation otanother` modification ot`= the same.

Figure -represents a plan view of tig. partly broken.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A. represents the furnace for generating the gas, and

B, a pan therein, for containing the sulphur.

The furnace is intended to be provided with one or more paus, according to the quantityoi' gas required, which is best regulated by the superficial area of the burning-surface, the depth of the supply having but little influence on the quantity produced;

C represents the air-supply passage, havinga valve,

"D, to be worked to regulate the supply of air, as will be presently shown.

The end of -t-he passage C is provided with a s-liding gate, E, alsofor regulating the supply.

E represents another gate, opening into the said passage C, 'for cleaning it.

Gis a pendent pla-te, to canse the air to pass down upon the burning sulphur.

H isa feeding-hopper, pQcedupon the top of the furnace, and provided with a revolving recessed valve,

1 at the bottom, which is rotated slowly andinter;

mittingly, and delivers the sulphur in measured quantities, closing the passage ti'oni thesaid hopper to the furnace at each time ot' delivering.

This valve is on the end of' a sha-ft, K, having a ratchet-wheel, L, pawl M, and lever N, worked by a connecting-rod, O, from the main driving-shaft P.

The connection of the rod O with the level-N is arranged to be adjusted for varying the throw of the lever N and ratchet, and thereby varying the speed Aof the wheel L and valve.

Q represents the cooling-chamber, into which l the gas is dischargedfrom the furnace through the pipe A, which discharges the gas on to the surface of water therein, supplied through the funnel S and V-shaped pipe T, passing down to or near the bottom ot' the chamber, and up to or about the top of the water, fprrnin g a trap to prevent the escape of the gas through the funnel.

U is an escape-pipe for the surplus water, leadin from the bottom'; also, to prevent the escapeof gas.

From this chamber the gas is conveyed through a pipe, V, to the hollow axle W of a gas-distributing the gas in the said spray, whereby the juice is bleached 'to the best advantage, and the air separated and driven' The juice flows in and through t-he trough, as indicated by the arrow.

Al represents a perforated plate, in the elevated wpart of ythe trough, above the wheel, for arresting -the spray thrown up by the wheel, and for allowingv the air to separate and pass oil' through the'passage B'.

C 'represents pendent partitions, ateach end of the trough, to prevent the escape of gas.A

l1 represents float-valves, for the same purpose. `15 represents a pendentvalve behind thc wheel,

'and arranged to be turned on its axis h v'the juice thrown against it by the wheel.

This valve is designed to actuate the air-valve D in the passage C. The axles of both `are therefore provided with cranks F2 D2, and connected by a rod, G1.

Thevalve F will be moved, more or less, according,

to the quantity oi' juice thrown against it, and' this will depend upon the quantity passing through; and the quantity o1' gas `required is in proportion to the juice passing; therefore, with the greater quantity, the valve D is opened more, and more air admitted, and more gas produced..

In the modified arrangement of cooling-apparatus, represented in figs. 4, 5,A and 6, I have represented tubes, or other conductors, for conveying the gas from the furnace down under the water,`and to be partly surrounded by the water, instead of discharging the said gas directly above the water.

A2 represents a broad-dat conductor, receiving the gas at a2, and conveying it downv through the part a3, and up througha to the tubes a5.

A, fig. G, represents tubes, similarly arranged.

Other similar arrangement of the cooling-apparatus may be employed.

Having thus described my invention, v

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Combination, with the furnace A, of the airconductor, valve D, arranged for operating to vary the supply, the hopper H, and revolving recessed feeding-valve I, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the furnace A, and the distributing-wheel and trough, of a gas-cooler, arranged substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a closed agitatiug-trough arranged for passing the liquid through it, of a revolving agit-ating-wheel, arranged for receiving the gas from a furnace, or over or through water, and for exhausting the air from the said agitat-ing-chauiber, and delivering the gas to the liquid therein, substantially as specified'.

4. lhe combination, with the trough, of the pendent platesC, and float-valves El, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the air-valves D, of the valve F, when connected and arranged substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the agitating-trough and wheel X, of the perforated plate' A1, substantially as' specified.

7. The mode of increasing or diminishing the capacin combination with the said furnace, of 'pans B, in which to burn the sulphur, substantially as specified.

` EVAN SKELLY.

Witnesses:

ADoNls PETLT, R. A. KEARNY,

ity or area of the burning-surface,- by the employment, 

